


The Time Being

by fxvixen



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Gen, Genderswap, It's not exactly shippy, Rule 63, Softball AU, Ushiten Week, more friendship-y
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-22
Updated: 2017-07-22
Packaged: 2018-12-05 11:50:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11577498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fxvixen/pseuds/fxvixen
Summary: Tsutomu yells, “Two outs, two outs!!” Some communication on throws drifts in from the outfield.Wakatoshi sets herself on the mound and pauses.Everything slows to a crawl.





	The Time Being

**Author's Note:**

> two things, 
> 
> 1) i know more about softball than baseball and i'm not sure enough about the differences to be able to accurately do a baseball thing. so i just switched everyone's genders. the full cast is switched and i tried not to talk about physical description too much because i know that sex/genitalia =/= gender. but i couldn't help myself with semi's hair tho sorrynotsorry
> 
> 2) i just made it american because i don't want to have to worry about accuracy or offending anyone

_ It’s so fucking hot.  _

Now that they’re not actively waiting for a ball to come flying at them, Satori can’t help but notice the extreme heat. Their infielders stand in a loose huddle around the mound, relaxing for the brief moment that they have. Wakatoshi keeps herself within a couple feet of the mound, probably trying to keep in her mindset. 

Satori, on the other hand, is finally noticing the sweat that’s halfway drenching her uniform and making her feel like maybe she should run under a sprinkler and be done with it. Her hand feels slippery and grimy in her glove, but she doesn’t worry too much about it. Once the next pitch is thrown, she’ll stop caring. 

The other team’s third base coach seems to be done talking to her players and sends two of them back to their bases, one on first and one on third. The third steps back toward the plate to take a couple more practice swings. Satori glances between the two runners and the coach, then stares at the batter intensely. Her swings seem smooth, unbothered even. 

Before she goes back to first Satori gets her pitcher’s attention. “Heya, Waka-kun. Watch that third base runner after they pause.” 

Wakatoshi considers the runner on third, then the batter. Often, Wakatoshi has asked Satori to explain how she seems to  _ know  _ these things before they happen, but though she’s tried, Satori has never been able to explain it other than, “I can just feel that it’s gonna happen!” 

As always, Wakatoshi doesn’t question it, just nods and signals to Kenjirou behind the plate. Kenjirou tilts her head and frowns at Satori standing there, obviously the cause of the change of play, but she just nods as well. 

Satori bears her teeth in a grin and jogs quickly back to her position just off first. Before turning around, she leers at the runner on first hoping to throw them off guard. The runner, short and younger-looking, blanches at her. Satori giggles and turns forward to get ready for the pitch. She can hear the first-base coach say something to the runner, but Satori has more important things to do, like warning Eita. 

“Hey, Semisemi!” 

Eita scowls at her from her spot halfway between first and second. She grunts, “What?”, long dip-dyed ponytail falling over her shoulder as she crouches. 

“Be ready~~” Satori sings at her, bending over in a hunch that never fails to make her coach yell, 

“ _ Bend your knees Satori! The ball’ll go right under you! _ ”

Satori isn’t worried. The ball isn’t coming to her this time. 

Tsutomu yells, “Two outs, two outs!!” Some communication on throws drifts in from the outfield.

Wakatoshi sets herself on the mound and pauses. 

Everything slows to a crawl. 

Satori feels dirt under her cleats. She hears some lady in the crowd complaining. She can taste the dirt and sweat in her mouth. 

Wakatoshi shakes her head at Kenjirou firmly once. 

Everything seems to stop. 

Then… 

...it all happens in a few short seconds. 

Wakatoshi’s arm comes around and Satori is more focused on the sound of the runner leaving the base behind her than if the batter is going to swing. Satori knows they won’t.

Sure enough, the ball flies through to Kenjirou, already hopping up. She lets the ball loose almost as soon as she has it, flinging it toward second base where Hayato stands, ready to get the stealing runner out. It’ll be a toss-up to see who will get there first, and Satori can feel the crowd tense in anticipation. 

Except. 

That was never the plan. 

Seeing the ball released to second, the third-base runner, having paused, is off toward home to get the tying run. 

The ball is intercepted on its way to second base by Eita flying in from the right, already whipping the ball back home. Satori can almost  _ taste _ the instant the opponents realize their mistake and he grins. By the time the grin is fully formed, the runner is out at home. The game is over. 

Satori lets out a loud cheer and jogs toward their dugout with the rest of her team. They line up and move to tell each other good game. It’s quick and Satori keeps from taunting any of the opposing players but she can’t quite keep her smirk to herself.

 

* * *

 

Satori and Wakatoshi find themselves laying in the grass of the outfield after the game.

“Maaan, I can feel dirt on top of my dirt.” Satori pulls at the front of her jersey, attempting to fan herself with it. 

Wakatoshi grunts in agreement. 

“Who decided dirt was the best to play this on? Why not like.. slip n’ slides leading up to each base? That makes sense, right? Everywhere else can just be grass.” 

“Then we’d be wet.” 

“Yeah!” Satori nudges Wakatoshi with her elbow. “It’s hot, dude. We  _ want _ to be wet.”

“Then the grass would stick to us.” Satori can hear the frown in her voice. 

“Eh.. I suppose. Would grass be easier to get off though? That’s the million dollar question.” 

There’s a long silence where they just stare at the stars. 

When Wakatoshi breaks it, her voice is slow. “I enjoy the dirt somewhat. It’s… well… it’s like a layer of sweat. It lets you know that you’re working hard.” 

Satori rolls her eyes. “It’s like a layer of sweat on top of another layer of sweat, but sure Waka, whatever you say.” 

There’s another long silence, but Satori doesn’t feel the need to fill it. She closes her eyes and thanks everything that they wore their pants uniform today so no ants or anything crawl on her legs. She can already feel grass around her getting damp with dew and wonders how long they’ll stay out here. It doesn’t matter to her, but Wakatoshi usually likes to go to bed at a “normal” time. 

“Satori.” 

“Mmmmhmmm.” 

“I wanted to let you know that I appreciate that you’re my teammate.” 

Satori’s eyes pop wide open and she sits up quickly to look at Wakatoshi. She just blinks down at her face. The only thing Satori can think to respond is, “Why?” 

Wakatoshi blinks back at her, but then smiles, as if this is yet another amusing thing that Satori has done just to confuse and be funny. This is not one of those times. Satori is just hella confused about what’s happening. 

Still smiling softly like some kind of goddess, Wakatoshi sits up, too. “Having you on my team has been extremely rewarding and a huge advantage. Your guesses have helped immensely many times and I want you to know that it hasn’t gone unnoticed. Thank you.”

Satori can feel herself blushing and she flips a hand at Wakatoshi. “Aw, shucks, you don’t gotta do that. I  _ like _ playing with you, you know. It’s not exactly a chore.” She pauses, then smirks. “Especially since we win all the time.” 

Wakatoshi tilts her head. “I like playing with you as well.” She smiles wryly. “Winning is a nice bonus.” She leans back on her hands and looks back at the stars. 

Against her will, Satori feels a melancholy sweep through her, a reminder that it won’t always be this way. 

“Yeah,” Satori says. Looking back up at the stars, a fire for more,  _ more _ games with Wakatoshi, flares in her. “Let’s keep winning.” 

**Author's Note:**

> i have soooo many headcanons about haikyuu players' positions and shit, so feel free to talk to me on [tumblr](http://fxvixen.tumblr.com/) all you want because i have All the opinions
> 
> leave a lil comment if you liked it <3


End file.
